West County Toxics Coalition • National Refinery Reform Campaign

Media Advisory
For immediate release
February 22, 2005

Contact: Henry Clark, West County Toxics Coalition: 510-232-3427
or Denny Larson, National Refinery Reform Campaign: 415-845-4705

What: Press Conference to Release New Report on Refinery Flaring
When: 11 AM, February 23, 2005
Where: Chevron Refinery Main Gate, Richmond, CA
Why: Richmond group launches final push for tough refinery flare regulation and exposes Air District-Refinery numbers game

Embargoed copies of the report are available by calling Denny Larson at 415-845-4705

Breathing Fire: New Refinery Flaring Report Targets Air District – Refinery Numbers Game and New Rule Proposal Oral Histories Chronicle Richmond Community Struggle for Environmental Justice over Twenty Years

(Richmond, CA) A new report by oil refinery watchdog groups will reveal recent Air District reports of decreased flaring and a new weakened proposed flaring rule are the result of pressure from the industry. Breathing Fire: in their own words, by the West County Toxics Coalition and the National Refinery Reform Campaign chronicles the Richmond community struggle against unnecessary flaring over twenty years in striking oral histories and community based research. As excess flaring is a widespread problem, pending regulations could become national precedent.

Henry Clark, Executive Director of the West County Toxics Coalition states: "The big issue is, that even after twenty years, the refineries and our Air District don’t want a tough action to ban the unnecessary flaring that dumps tons of toxics into our breathing space every day."

National groups are weighing in on the refinery flare rules as national precedent. They are concerned that it must be a strong precedent and not a ‘sham’ or it could do more damage than good for refinery neighbors across the country. “The District’s transparent backtracking on their studies is at odds with the body of research on flares, every other study in fact, even their own.” stated Denny Larson, National Refinery Reform Campaign.

Breathing Fire: in their own words, lets the people of Richmond tell their story about living under the shadow flares through oral histories. Amadia Thomas a co-founder of the West County Toxics Coalition and a housing rights activist states: “For the communities, it is a civil rights issue, they can never pay enough for our health, the health we lost.” The report tracks the progression of Bay Area Air District activities since 1989, when the Air District study estimated over 20 tons of flare emissions from refineries until the present time, when the agency has tried to backtracked on earlier studies. The District has promised various times over ten years to adopt flare regulations, but failed to keep their promises. According to former employees, the District has developed a culture of avoiding action against powerful refineries.

The report is issued by California’s oldest Environmental Justice group, the West County Toxics Coalition, and the National Refinery Reform Campaign, a project of Global Community Monitor, headed by long time refinery activist, Denny Larson.